Abstract: A method for determining the size of a void-type defect in a top side of a structure comprising a top layer placed on a substrate, the defect being located in the top layer, includes introducing the structure into a reflected darkfield microscopy device in order to generate, from a light ray scattered by the top side, a defect-related first signal and a roughness-related second signal. The intensity of the roughness-related second signal is captured with a plurality of pixels. The intensity captured by each pixel is compared with the intensities captured by neighboring pixels. It is defined whether or not the pixel is contained in an abnormal zone. The standard deviation of the intensity values captured by the pixels of the abnormal zone is extracted, and the size of the void-type defect associated with the abnormal zone is determined from the extracted standard deviation. A new device may be used for carrying out such a method.

Abstract: A method of fabrication of a semiconductor element includes a step of rapid heat treatment in which a substrate comprising a base having a resistivity greater than 1000 Ohm·cm is exposed to a peak temperature sufficient to deteriorate the resistivity of the base. The step of rapid heat treatment is followed by a curing heat treatment in which the substrate is exposed to a curing temperature between 800° C. and 1250° C. and then cooled at a cooldown rate less than 5° C./second when the curing temperature is between 1250° C. and 1150° C., less than 20° C./second when the curing temperature is between 1150° C. and 1100° C., and less than 50° C./second when the curing temperature is between 1100° C. and 800° C.

Abstract: A semiconductor device, in particular a solar cell is formed on the basis of a hybrid deposition strategy using MOCVD and MBE in order to provide lattice matched semiconductor compounds. To this end, the MBE may be applied for providing a nitrogen-containing semiconductor compound that allows a desired low band gap energy and a lattice matched configuration with respect to gallium arsenide substrates.

Abstract: A method of transferring blocks of semiconductor material to a substrate comprises the following steps: a. providing an intermediate substrate, the intermediate substrate comprising, on one of its faces, blocks, the blocks comprise a monocrystalline material, the blocks comprising an embrittlement area delimiting a block portion intended to be transferred onto a final substrate; b. executing an assembling step by putting a free surface of each of the blocks in contact with the final substrate; and c. executing, after the assembling step, detachment at the embrittlement area of each of the blocks. During the assembling step, the intermediate substrate deforms so that the free surfaces of the blocks become coplanar.

Abstract: The disclosure relates to a device for measuring an electrical characteristic of a substrate comprising a support made of a dielectric material having a bearing surface, the support comprising an electrical test structure having a contact surface flush with the bearing surface of the support, the bearing surface of the support and the contact surface of the electrical test structure being suitable for coming into close contact with a substrate. The measurement device also comprises at least one connection bump contact formed on another surface of the support and electrically linked to the electrical test structure. This disclosure also relates to a system for characterizing a substrate and a method for measuring a characteristic of a substrate employing the measurement device.

Abstract: This disclosure relates to a solar cell assembly structure for supporting a concentrator photovoltaic cell comprising a semiconducting structure and a diode, wherein the semiconducting structure comprises a first semiconducting region at least a part of which for placing the concentrator photovoltaic cell structure, and a second semiconducting region for realizing the diode within or on the second semiconducting region and wherein the part of the first semiconducting region for placing the concentrator photovoltaic cell structure and the second semiconducting region are not vertically overlapping.

Abstract: A useful layer is layered onto a support by a method that includes the steps of forming an embrittlement plane by implanting light elements into a first substrate, so as to form a useful layer between such plane and one surface of the first substrate; applying the support onto the surface of the first substrate so as to form an assembly to be fractured; applying a heat treatment for embrittling the assembly to be fractured; and initiating and propagating a fracture wave into the first substrate along the embrittlement plane. The fracture wave is initiated in a central area of the embrittlement plane and the propagation speed of the wave is controlled so that the velocity thereof is sufficient to cause the interactions of the fracture wave with acoustic vibrations emitted upon the initiation and/or propagation thereof, if any, are confined to a peripheral area of the useful layer.

Abstract: A method for manufacturing a structure comprises a) providing a donor substrate comprising front and rear faces; b) providing a support substrate; c) forming an intermediate layer on the front face of the donor substrate or on the support substrate; d) assembling the donor and support substrates with the intermediate layer therebetween; e) thinning the rear face of the donor substrate to form a useful layer of a useful thickness having a first face disposed on the intermediate layer and a second free face; and wherein the donor substrate comprises a buried stop layer and a fine active layer having a first thickness less than the useful thickness, between the front face of the donor substrate and the stop layer; and after step e), removing, in first regions of the structure, a thick active layer delimited by the second free face of the useful layer and the stop layer.

Abstract: A structure for radiofrequency applications includes: a support substrate of high-resistivity silicon comprising a lower part and an upper part having undergone a p-type doping to a depth D; a mesoporous trapping layer of silicon formed in the doped upper part of the support substrate. The depth D is less than 1 micron and the trapping layer has a porosity rate of between 20% and 60%.

Abstract: A method for fabricating a strained semiconductor-on-insulator substrate includes bonding a donor substrate to a receiving substrate, with a dielectric layer at the interface, and transferring a monocrystalline semiconductor layer from the donor substrate to the receiving substrate. A portion is cut from a stack formed from the transferred monocrystalline semiconductor layer from the dielectric layer and from the strained semiconductor material layer. The cutting results in the relaxation of the strain in the strained semiconductor material, and in the application of at least a part of the strain to the transferred monocrystalline semiconductor layer. The method also involves the formation, on the strained semiconductor material layer of the receiving substrate, of a dielectric bonding layer or of a bonding layer consisting of the same relaxed, or at least partially relaxed, monocrystalline material as the monocrystalline semiconductor layer of the donor substrate.

Abstract: A substrate for microelectronic radiofrequency devices includes a carrier substrate made of a first semiconductor material having a resistivity higher than 500 ohms·cm; a plurality of trenches in the carrier substrate, which trenches are filled with a second material, and defining on a first side of the carrier substrate a plurality of first zones made of a first material and at least one second zone made of a second material. The second material has a resistivity higher than 10 kohms·cm, and the first zones have a maximum dimension smaller than 10 microns and are insulated from one another by the second zone.

Abstract: A process for the manufacture of a semiconductor element includes a stage of rapid heat treatment of a substrate comprising a charge-trapping layer, which is capable of damaging an RF characteristic of the substrate. The rapid heat treatment stage is followed by a healing heat treatment of the substrate between 700° C. and 1,100° C., for a period of time of at least 15 seconds.

Abstract: The invention concerns an assembly method comprising the following steps: a) providing a first substrate comprising a first face made from crystalline indium phosphide, b) providing a second substrate comprising a second crystalline face different from the indium phosphide, c) forming an intermediate layer of crystalline indium phosphide on the second face of the second substrate, d) forming an assembly, via a direct bonding step, by bringing the first face of the first substrate into contact with the intermediate layer, the direct bonding step being carried out in an atmosphere having a pressure greater than 10?4 Pa, and preferably higher than 10?3 Pa, e) subjecting the assembly formed in step d) to heat treatment.

Abstract: Methods of forming a semiconductor structure include forming a device layer on an initial substrate, attaching a first surface of the device layer to a temporary substrate and forming a high resistivity layer on a second surface of the device layer by removing a portion of the initial substrate. Methods further include attaching a final substrate to the high resistivity layer and removing the temporary substrate. Semiconductor structures are fabricated by such methods that include a final substrate, a high resistivity layer disposed over the final substrate and a device layer disposed over the high resistivity layer.

Abstract: This disclosure relates to a method of fabrication of a surface acoustic wave device comprising the step (a) of providing a piezoelectric structure, the step (b) of providing a dielectric structure, wherein the step (b) comprises a step (b1) of metalizing the dielectric structure, and the method further comprising the step (c) of bonding the metalized dielectric structure to the piezoelectric structure.

Abstract: A structure for radiofrequency applications includes: a semiconducting supporting substrate, and a trapping layer arranged on the supporting substrate. The trapping layer includes a higher defect density than a predetermined defect density. The predetermined defect density is the defect density beyond which the electric resistivity of the trapping layer is no lower than 10,000 ohm·cm over a temperature range extending from ?20° C. to 120° C.

Abstract: A method for manufacturing a substrate includes the following steps: (a) providing a support substrate with a first coefficient of thermal expansion, having on one of its faces a first plurality of trenches parallel to each other in a first direction, and a second plurality of trenches parallel to each other in a second direction; (b) transferring a useful layer from a donor substrate to the support substrate, the useful layer having a second coefficient of thermal expansion; wherein an intermediate layer is inserted between the front face of the support substrate and the useful layer, the intermediate layer having a coefficient of thermal expansion between the first and second coefficients of thermal expansion.

Abstract: The disclosure relates to a method for separating a layer from a composite structure, the structure comprising a composite stack formed from at least a support substrate, which is partially transparent at a determined wavelength, the layer to be separated and a separation layer interposed between the support substrate and the layer to be separated, the method comprising irradiation of the separation layer through the support substrate by means of incident light ray at the determined wavelength in order to induce weakening or separation by exfoliation of the separation layer, the light ray being inclined so as to form an angle of incidence ? such that ?>?min, where ?min=sin?1((n1/n0)sin(tan?1(s/2h))), n1 and n0, respectively, being the refractive index of the support substrate and the refractive index of the external medium in contact with the support substrate, from which the ray comes, S being the width of the ray and h being the thickness of the support substrate.

Abstract: A support for a semiconductor structure includes a charge-trapping layer on a base substrate. The charge-trapping layer consists of a polycrystalline main layer and, interposed in the main layer or between the main layer and the base substrate, at least one intermediate polycrystalline layer composed of a silicon and carbon alloy or carbon. The intermediate layer has a resistivity greater than 1000 ohm·cm.

Abstract: The disclosure relates to a hybrid structure for a surface-acoustic-wave device comprising a useful layer of piezoelectric material joined to a carrier substrate having a thermal expansion coefficient lower than that of the useful layer; the hybrid structure comprising an intermediate layer located between the useful layer and the carrier substrate, the intermediate layer being a structured layer formed from at least two different materials comprising a plurality of periodic motifs in the plane of the intermediate layer.